Hackney Marshes is an area of open space in London's
Lower Lea Valley, lying on the western bank of the
River Lea. It takes its name from its position on the eastern boundary of
Hackney, the principal part of the
London Borough of Hackney, and from its origin as an area of true
marsh
A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...
.
The marshes were extensively drained from
Medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
times onwards, and rubble was dumped here from buildings damaged by air raids during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, raising the level of the ground.
The principal area of the marsh lies below
Lea Bridge Road between the
Old River Lea, and the Hackney Cut – an artificial channel of the
Lee Navigation
The Lee Navigation is a canalised river incorporating the River Lea (also called the River Lee along the sections that are navigable). It flows from Hertford Castle Weir to the River Thames at Bow Creek; its first lock is Hertford Lock and it ...
, dug about 1770, to avoid a loop in the natural watercourse. The southern extent is marked by the
A12; although the industrial land around
Hackney Wick Stadium was originally an extension of the marsh, it now forms a part of the
Olympic Park for the
2012 Summer Olympics.
Hackney Marsh is one of the largest areas of common land in Greater London, with of protected commons.
History
The marsh
The River itself was always an important waterway, being navigable to
Hertfordshire; th